New Beginnings
by FictionalSalvation
Summary: Just a collection of after-Gaea one shots. Mainly focused on Jason, Nico and Will's relationship (Jason notnecessarily being a romantic partner,) but there will be some other pairings. I will update whenever I write a new one.
1. A Cure (Jason-Nico)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus; Rick Riordan does.**

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><p><strong>A Cure (JasonNico)**

"Nico?"

He didn't jump down. He didn't answer. He didn't acknowledge his presence at all. Nico's gaze was fixed on the water, watching the current flow by beneath his shoes. It was painful, yes; it reminded him of other times. Times when he knew the meaning of love. Of laughter. Of life.

Then death had taken over, and all of that was forgotten. All the happiness he'd once felt were drowned in a sea of sorrow and troubled thoughts.

"Nico, what are you doing up there?"

Nico ignored him. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes closed. The river, he thought. The river was the only answer. A drop of its water and he would forget everything. Nico did not care about the consequences. He just wanted to forget. He had learnt long ago that they are not the events that destroy us, but the memories of them. They clouded his dreams and whispered sorrowful truths on his ears, tormenting him, mocking his fate. He couldn't bear one more day of it.

Nico needed a cure for his memory. It was too vivid.

He heard a light sigh, and he could see Jason on his mind's eye perfectly, raking a hand through his hair, glasses askew.

Nico hated that. He hated the fact that he and Will cared for him. He was not worth it. If he didn't care himself, then why should them? He did not know.

The branch was high, but Jason was a son of Jupiter. He hovered himself up effortlessly and landed next to the dark-haired boy. Nico had a rather dismal aura around him. He radiated shadows and mist, dark and dangerous like a panther. He glared at Jason. There was no hint of warmth in those eyes, Jason thought. And yet he saw it: a spark of hurt, a need to be comforted. Maybe the glasses had changed his perspective on the di Angelo kid, but, truth to be told, he saw him differently than he did when they first met. It was a good kind of different, though. He saw the emotions Nico hid, and he saw the barriers Nico lifted. He was able to see through them, but he did not want to tear them down.

Nico was not as unapproachable as he thought.

"Why are you up here?" he inquired, his brow knitting together. "The camp fire is about to start."

"I don't care," Nico snarled. "I don't like bonfires."

Jason couldn't suppress a smile. Nico tried to sound lethal, and perhaps he did, for other people. That was not his case. On Jason's book, the son of Hades was a lost lion. It was not impossible for him to fit in; he just had to be tamed by the right people. Jason wanted to be the one to tame him, to show him his place on the world.

Nico was about to shadow-travel to the Underworld when Jason grabbed his bony shoulder. His eyes travelled slowly towards the Roman demigod's hand. Jason's fingers slid down his arm, coming to a halt around his wrist. With his index and thumb, he held his arm up and looked at it worriedly.

"Nico, when was the last time you ate?" Jason sounded truly concerned. Nico bit back a possible comment. "You look ill," he added.

The gaunt Ghost King scowled. "I don't need Will! I'm fine on my own."

The little scar on his lip stretched as Jason smiled faintly. It was adorable, Nico thought. But he'd never admit that out loud. "Who said anything about Will? But I can call him, if you fancy a visit from the Doctor. He could heal you."

Nico blushed at Jason's annoying smirk. "Shut up. And let go of me," he added, seeing Jason kiss his bruised knuckles. "I said let go of me!"

The air around them cooled down as Nico flinched away from Jason's touch. He hugged himself tightly, as though he were afraid of the other boy. Jason knew he was not. Nico was just scared of forming strong bounds. Hearts are breakable, he knew, and his was specially fragile. He didn't need somebody striking the lethal blow, shattering his dark-tinted glass.

Jason's eyes were glinting with something Nico could not quite decipher. Or maybe he did, but he kept it a secret. Nico di Angelo could not afford to be loved. It was simply wrong. Even if it was not romantic love, it was much stronger, therefore more dangerous. Once you pour your heart into somebody it is very hard to let go. Nico knew it.

"Go away," his voice was a whisper bathed in tears. "Go away. Please."

His lips were trembling, Jason noticed. His whole frame was. "Nico, nothing lasts forever. Not even the deepest wounds," Jason said as soothingly as he could. "Let me be the one to fix you. It will take some time, but we have a Doctor on our side, don't we?" He cracked a slight smile. "The river of life is flowing by, right now, right here. You can drown, or you can float," he paused for two heartbeats. "Let us be your boat."

Nico swallowed. He looked into Jason's deep eyes and found himself draw towards them. They were crystal-clear, like a polished piece of sky. Steady and true, faithful and knowing. Nico knew Will's were identical.

Jason outstretched an arm towards him, and Nico could not help but surrender to his warm, welcoming embrace, as the hot tears streamed down his cheeks.

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><p><strong>I love Jason and Nico's relationship so much, I figured the first one should be about them. (I ship JasonPiper as a romantic couple. Jason is more like a super close friend, I guess.)**

**Please review and let me know if you want more, and which ships you want!**


	2. Promises (Percy-Annabeth)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus.**

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><p><strong>Pomises (PercyAnnabeth)**

Annabeth watched the lake. Faint waves rolled and crashed against the shore, just before her toes. The sand was tinted with the sunset's oranges, reds and pinks, and she figured it was a beautiful view. The weather was perfect, as usual, and she was finally at home. It should have been a wonderful afternoon. But the memories haunted her, and with Percy away, it felt too much like before, when her boyfriend was still missing.

Those weeks had been the worst of her life, possibly as terrible as Tartarus itself. At least Percy had been there when she fell. He was always there, but for those weeks.

Her thoughts drifted to that distant afternoon full of drastic changes and despair. Annabeth remembered the prophecy, and she remembered the quest. She remembered the paralysing fear she'd felt when she found herself face-to-face with Arachne. She remembered the knitted portrait of their underwater kiss, and she almost smiled. Almost. Because then came the fall.

Annabeth couldn't see clearly. Tears burned her eyes as her hand slowly slipped away. Percy was just another blur on her vision field, shouting frantically. Tartarus was imposing itself over Annabeth, lethal and inevitable. Arachne's rejoicing voice came from the incipient pit, but she refused to give in to her taunts.

Then Percy's saving hand had gripped hers so tightly she thought he'd break her wrist. She didn't care. The relief of his familiar touch was so grand she wanted to cry. But she already was, and you cannot cry whilst crying.

The world had begun to sway. Percy shouted something she hadn't quite registered; Annabeth was too busy thinking of a million possible ways she could die at Tartarus. The irrational fear was taking over her mind, something that she'd never experienced before. The feeling of helplessness and imminent death was crushing, but Annabeth fought her hardest to beat it.

And they fell.

Time stopped. Percy embraced her as if there were no tomorrow. In a way, there wasn't.

They were just two shadows amongst the utter darkness, holding onto each other.

Their hearts beat together, their breaths were synchronised.

There wasn't up or down, no walls nor ceiling, just the sensation of cold and the fear of not making it alive.

There was grief.

There was sorrow.

There was fear.

There was anticipation.

And there was hope.

A minuscule spark of hope in their hopeless hearts, lost within the sea. Annabeth knew her fatal flaw was pride. In pride, there's stubbornness. She knew that fatal flaw was her weakest spot, the thing that can bring you down before you realise it. But this time, her fatal flaw kept her alive.

She refused to accept the fate she and Percy were destined to have.

She tried her best to have hope.

They fell for days and weeks and for what felt like an eternity, through darkness and whispers that begged for salvation and surrender. They fell until they forgot they were falling. They fell together, and the thought of letting go never once crossed their minds.

They fell towards Tartarus, and Tartarus fell towards them.

And she wondered: if you fall forever and never touch down, is it really falling?

She was at a loss for thoughts.

But she realised that falling was not the problem.

The landing was.

And as she blocked out all the whispering voices that spoke of anguish and death, she knew that would be all they would encounter once they landed.

Whether they landed alive or not, it would be the same.

It was hard to have hope on such circumstances. But sometimes hope is all you have. The possibility of making it alive was a light bright enough to lighten up their way down.

Now, as Annabeth gazes into the water, all those memories seemed surreal. She'd thought that she would be scarred for life, not once forgetting about the near-death experiences. But in fact, it all seemed like somebody else's nightmare. It was there, printed on her brain and she knew she would remember it for the rest of her life. And yet, it felt foreign. As if she hadn't really went through Tartarus.

Soon, she hears light footsteps approach her from behind. Her eyes follow him as Percy sat next to her. His grin is almost infectious. To a stranger, it would seem impossible that he was the same guy who made it alive from the darkest depths of the Underworld. But he was.

His smile falls. "Are you okay?" he asks. Percy's green eyes are as bright as ever, but now there's a thin layer of permanent sadness that wasn't there before.

Annabeth nods and wipes the tears off. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Percy looks at her as if to say_ don't lie to me, I can sense something's wrong_. Then he wraps his arms around her. The daughter of Athena lets him do it, and the familiar scent of ocean surrounds her. She breathes it all in, and it brings back many memories. This time, they are the good kind.

He tucks a strand of hair behind Annabeth's ear. "You know that I love you, right?"

Only Percy could ask such a question, Annabeth thinks. She tells her she loves him too and they lean into each other, their lips meeting in a slow, lingering kiss, full of meaning and promises. Promises that, even as they stay unspoken, both of them will keep for the rest of their lives.

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><p><strong>I loved writing this, don't know why.<strong>

**I promise the next one will be less sad and more cheerful, 'kay?**

**R&R!**


	3. Everlasting (Solangelo-Percabeth)

**This chapter is dedicated to XxThalicoRULZxX for suggesting the idea, and for being awesomesauce. Go check out her stories, they are brilliant and she's the best!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson & the Olympians, or Heroes of Olympus, but you should know that by now ;)**

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><p>"Why do you enjoy looking at the sky?" Nico asked. Will was always lying on the grass, gazing at the clouds, unfazed by the bright sun. <em>And<em>, he seemed to enjoy it. Nico didn't understand this.

Will pondered the question for three heartbeats. His hands were laced beneath his head and his shaggy fair hair fell over his eyes. Nico was not noticing this at all. He was not noticing the freckles on his cheeks, and he certainly didn't want to connect them like constellations. Nico didn't notice the way his shirt lifted up a little, showing just a bit of Will's hipbones. He was not noticing anything; he just _contemplated_.

"It's somewhat complicated," Will answered. Seeing Nico's puzzled expression, he elaborated. "The sky is not an actual thing, like a dome or a ceiling. Not technically. It's just the reflection of the light. But we don't care about that, do we? We just take it for granted: it's there, it will always be there. And at night, when it disappears, we don't believe it's gone. We think it's simply turned black. But it hasn't. That's why we see the stars, Nico. The darkness is there to make light shine brighter."

He had looked at Nico in the eye as he spoke the last words. His eyes were like a window, overlooking the sky. He could look into them for hours, which was a great contradiction, saying what he just had. He was being just slightly hypocrite, Nico decided, but that didn't matter.

"I still think it's just a blue way to waste your time," he retorted. "Looking at it, I mean. Why is it so amazing, if it's nothing more than a trick of the light?"

The son of Apollo smiled. "Because it's everlasting."

And while Nico understood what he meant by that, and he acknowledged it was true, he still didn't believe the sky to be such a marvel.

Unless he was seeing it on Will's eyes.

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><p>Annabeth watched their exchange from the other side of the meadow. Will was not the only camper taking advantage of the summery weather. Most of the demigods spent the majority of the afternoons lounging outside the cabins, getting tanned and sometimes even napping. Of course, the Stoll brothers were always ready to nick some wallets, but that was a minor issue.<p>

Annabeth's head rested on Percy's chest. The sunlight caressed their skin, soft and warm like a feather. They had been there for nearly an hour, talking and kissing and enjoying each other's company. Now Annabeth gazed at Nico and Will, smiling to herself. The son of Hades had finally found shelter on Will Solace's arms, and Annabeth was glad beyond words. As for Percy...

"I'm only saying," he began for what felt like the twentieth time, "that what the kid said doesn't make any sense."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and sat up. Percy followed suit, frowning.

"_Me_, not _his_ type? What the hell? I am everyone's type! How come he'd choose Solace rather than me? That's... that's just plain _wrong_."

Annabeth arched an eyebrow. "Percy-"

"What?" He cut her off. "What? Are you going to tell me I'm not your type either? Great. Thank you,_ Wise Girl_." There was more sass on his voice than water in the ocean. "Then Chiron's gonna tell me I'm not his type of demigod. I wouldn't be surprised if he did, you know. Then my mum will call and tell me_, yes, you guessed_, that I am not her type of son. And Poseidon will say the same, and Neptune, because, guess what? _Even the Romans agree on it_. I AM NOT THE RIGHT TYPE."

Many heads had turned to see what all the fuss was about, for Percy's voice had raised to the point of almost yelling. Annabeth opened her mouth to reply something, albeit rather confusedly. What was she to tell him? Percy could be rather... _thick-headed_ when he wanted to.

However, before she could even utter the first word, Percy was up and moving. Toward Nico. Annabeth muttered a Greek curse about Poseidon's underwear and dashed off after her boyfriend.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Annabeth exclaimed, grabbing a fistful of Percy's shirt and facing him.

His sea-green eyes looked back and forth between her fist and her face before glaring into her own grey ones. Needlessly to say, his glare was about as threatening as a little puppy's.

"I just need to, uh, clear up some posers," he said, blushing lightly. "Now, if you could, you know, let go of me..." He trailed off under Annabeth's death glare. "But- oh, look! Hey Quintus!"

_Quintus?!_

Annabeth's Athenian brain set the priorities first, and she turned around. When she realised her mistake, Percy had already detached himself free.

"Dammit, Jackson."

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><p><strong>This is by far my favourite chapter so far :)<strong>

**I might continue it, if I get enough positive feedback.**

**Anyway, I hope this was good.**

** R&R!**


	4. Crushing Feelings (Nico-Will)

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. (How's that for a depressing thought?)**

**Crushing feelings (Nico/Will)**

Part I.

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><p>Anyone who saw him sleeping would instantly appreciate just how beautiful he was. There was a natural charm drawn to his face by the angelic expression he took as he dreamed, lying amongst the tangle of black silk sheets his bed was. The son of Hades had kept a rather gaunt look, with hollow cheeks and shadows under his eyes, but those details didn't quite outshine the delicate features that composed his face.<p>

Will had memorised it. He would trace lines over his cheekbones, bounding the pale splash of freckles together like constellations, making a map of Nico's stars. They were worthier of study than any other planet. No one else noticed them. They were barely visible, like a whisper carried through the wind for that one person to hear. It made Will believe he was special.

Nico's long, dark lashes feathered against his skin, concealing his eyes; eyes as dark as the night sky but infinitely deeper. When Nico looked at him, he could see through them like dark-tinted crystal. He could see memories, painful ones, distant ones, concealed regrets and ghosts that haunted him at night. Will had caressed every bit of skin, ran his fingers through every strand of hair, kissed every spot of his lips.

And he never had enough.

He turned in bed to face Nico. Not unpredictably, the pale demigod was still asleep. Rays of sunlight sneaked in through a small opening in the black blinds, turning the tips of his hair to gold. Will knew he ought to leave and carry on with his duties as a senior counsellor, yet he was having a hard time convincing himself to do so. Somehow, Nico's prominent collarbones distracted him, bringing back the events of last night. It had not been much of a remarkable thing, as neither of them seemed willing to push each other further than bare torsos and messy hair, secretly afraid of pushing themselves, but for Will it had felt surreal nonetheless. He was not used to have his company – after all, it had only passed half a year after the war – and he was enjoying it thoroughly. Everything about Nico was utterly interesting. From his quiet caring words he reserved exclusively for the son of Apollo, to the various scars he had; cuts and bruises that lined his body. The first time he had seen them, the blond demigod had instantly wanted to heal them. Nico had insisted that he didn't mind them; they were reminders of fights he'd won and fights he'd lost. Will had set himself a goal: get to know each scar's story, how he'd gotten them and when and where and why. Nico had seemed rather reluctant at first, slightly overwhelmed at the sight of someone showing such interest on him, but slowly he'd given in to his lover's persistence. Will felt oddly proud of himself.

He kissed Nico's forehead softly before climbing out of bed and quietly stepping out of the front door.

…...

A knock on the door woke him up. Nico blinked his tired eyes open. The first thing he became aware of was Will's absence. He had somehow grown used to the way their bodies fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. He reckoned it had been the son of Apollo's presence during the night that had notoriously improved his sleep. He had slept wonderfully, with Will's arms wrapped around his waist, no dreams nor flashbacks bothering him. It had been a pleasant surprise; a break from all the conflicted thoughts his mind hid.

Somebody knocked once again, louder this time. Nico swore under his breath and slipped in a t-shirt. Whoever it was, they better had a good excuse to be waking up at such improper hours.

The black door slid open, revealing a tousled-haired Jason Grace. His glasses were askew, his hair a golden mess. He squinted his eyes against the bright sun, grinning as Nico glowered.

"Morning," he said cheerfully. Nico wanted to slap him.

"What the hell do you want?" he growled in response. Jason raised a sceptical eyebrow; Nico shrugged. "I was sleeping. You woke me up. I'm pissed off. Deal with the aftermath, Grace."

All he earned was a roll of sky-blue eyes. "Well, now you're awake. Aren't you going to have breakfast?"

"No."

"Okay, then."

Jason reached out for Nico's arm, and before he could even react, he was dragging him towards the mess hall. Nico gritted his teeth, but he did not try to stop the son of Zeus. Partly because he knew it would be pointless effort anyway; partly because... well, because he didn't feel like doing so.

Once he checked Nico wasn't opposing any resistance, Jason let go of him and they walked alongside. Nico tried not to notice the whipcord muscles on the other boy's arms, or how the wind blew his shirt to the side, exposing just a tiny patch of skin over his hipbone. Wrapped up on his not-noticing as he was, he didn't realise he was blushing until Jason pointed it out. Nico was sure he was scarlet at this point. He mumbled an non-understandable excuse and looked at the ground, focusing on the grass beneath his feet instead. He secretly wondered, not for the first time, what in Hades was wrong with him.

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><p>Will Solace hadn't quite known jealousy until he saw Nico laughing and walking with Jason. A dark, crushing feeling exploded on his chest, temporarily blinding him. What an upstart that Grace kid was, acting so warm and nice towards <em>his<em> Death Boy. Before he could know what he was doing, Will had dashed off to meet them.

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><p><strong>Yes, I had to split this chapter in two parts because it was way too long, compared to all the others. I'll post the next part in a few days, 'cause I still need to polish some details and figure out how to end it...<strong>

**What did you think of this one, anyway? Loved it? Hated it? Review and let me know! Constructive criticism is welcome, too.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	5. Crushing Feelings part II (Nico-Will)

_**Part II: Undisclosed Desires**_

"_I want to reconcile the violence in your heart_

_I want to recognise your beauty's not just a mask_

_I want to exorcise the demons from your past_

_I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart"_

_- Undisclosed Desires, Muse_

"Hey, Death Boy!"

Nico stopped dead on his tracks. There was only one person at camp who called him that.

Sure enough, there he was, with his usual lopsided smile and adorable dimples. The skeleton butterflies on Nico's stomach resurrected out of nowhere. He remembered last night, and all the previous nights, and cursed himself inwardly for ever checking Jason out.

But there was no way Will could know that.

"Mind if I walk with you, Jason?" Even as he spoke, addressing the son of Zeus, Will's clear eyes never left Nico's. It was him, in the end, the one who looked away awkwardly. He found himself wishing for all these conflicted emotions to leave him for once and all.

"Yeah, sure," Jason nodded, his brow knitting together in slight confusion. "Sure, man."

Will grinned at him, and Nico thought it seemed somewhat forced. He had not missed the stiffness his voice held when he'd asked to walk along with them.

Awkwardness hung in the air as they made their way uncomfortably towards the Greek pavilion. Nico's arm brushed Will's lightly on several occasions, sending goosebumps down his skin. He searched his mind, desperately hoping to find something to say. He couldn't think of anything. All he had was something among the lines of _'uh'_ and _'err'_, and he figured they weren't much of a conversation prompt.

"So, Jason," Will said after a while. "Have you, err, finished with the shrines in New Rome?"

He silently thanked him for knowing exactly what to say. Jason launched into a description of his and Annabeth's projects and blueprints and landscapes and designs and whatnot. Nico thought he had spent too much time with a certain daughter of Athena.

He lifted a hand up to his face, shielding his eyes from the sun. Nico hated mornings, and he hated sunlight. It was too warm, too bright, too unlike him.

He stole a sideways glance at Will. His shaggy hair shone brightly, falling over his eyes. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but Nico fought hard not to smile as he realised Will's hair was glowing. Literally _glowing_, with a golden light aura that came from within the strands. Nico thought that maybe sun wasn't that bad, after all, under specific circumstances.

"...and we are nearly done with it. It's been such a hard job," Jason was saying, "man, you have no idea. The gods are more self-propagating than you think. They wanted their temples to be the best out of all."

Nico waited for the thunder to boom, but nothing happened. Maybe the Olympians acknowledged this.

Will nodded. Nico wondered whether he had actually been listening to Jason the whole time. If so, he must have had a greater attention span than any other demigod. He realised he had never asked Will about his being ADHD or not, and made a mental note to find out later.

_Since when have I been so interested on someone?_

"I've got to meet Piper," Jason said, clapping a hand on Nico's shoulder. "See you later, I guess."

The son of Apollo waved a hand at him shortly, then turned to face Nico. He arched an eyebrow amusedly. Well, at least Nico thought it was out of amusement. He discarded this thought the second he heard Will's words:

"Since when does _he_ pick you up at your cabin?"

His tone was neutral, but the son of Hades was at a complete loss for words nonetheless. How could he explain to Will that Jason was nothing more than a friend? He had seen the Roman demigod's affectionate actions, which were, Nico had to admit, quite frequent. Still, those gestures were openly platonic.

"I, uh, I mean. We are not… he's not…"

"And, since when can't you admit he's simply a friend ?What - Nico, what am I supposed to make out of this?" Will looked at him in the eye, and Nico could see through them as if they were crystal. He saw the pain he had caused himself, and it hurt him too. "I thought…" the son of Apollo threw his hands up in frustration. "I thought we had something. I _knew_ we had something."

"We do," he replied quietly.

"Then… then why?"

Nico thought for a moment, searching for the right way to say it. "Because he cares about me. A lot, in fact. And he is not afraid to show it. But it doesn't go further than that. Honestly, Will, I thought you knew that."

The blonde boy looked both ashamed and relieved. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "I just… I don't want to lose you, Death Boy. I know you've suffered, and I know that I might not be enough for you, but I want to make you feel true. I want to be there for you." He took Nico's hand on his. "Please. Don't let me go. I won't let you be denied. I… I l-"

The son of Hades cut him off ."Don't say it."

Will looked astounded. Nico elaborated. "It's too strong. Just wait until I'm ready."

He nodded and grinned. "I'm sorry, Nico. I was just jealous, I guess. Blame Aphrodite."

This time, a thunder shook the skies, and Nico's skeleton butterflies were dancing the conga.

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><p><strong>I don't have time to write a long author note right now, but I hope this was good enough! I wrote it in literally just an hour and I'm sorry if it's too rushed or whatever.<strong>

**Please review, it means a lot!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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